Truth Be Told
by ssklarolinewrites
Summary: A one-shot where Klaus finds out what has happened to Caroline. This is based on the leaked spoilers for TVD Season 7.


_This one-shot is inspired by the leaked TVD spoilers and the rest is my imagination. If you don't know about them and/or don't want to be spoiled, don't read this._

 _It breaks my heart when I think of what is supposed to happen and I had to write this._

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.**

"Klaus?" Caroline called, pushing open the heavy wooden door to the address she had for him. Who knew if he even still lived there? It had been almost two years since she'd seen him. She knocked, but no one answered. The French Quarter thrummed around her, but she couldn't enjoy it. She was desperate.

"Caroline?" he asked, showing up within a second of hearing her voice. His blue eyes roamed up and down her body, shocked at seeing her. She was in jeans, boots, and a peplum-style white top. Her hair was shiny and in long waves down her back.

Klaus thought she was beautiful as she would always be, but there was an air of sadness around her that was new. She appeared more world-weary. She was missing her spark. "Are you ok? What happened?" he asked, pulling her inside and seating her in the courtyard.

"I'm fine. Is Rebekah here?" She only had the address for Klaus and since those two were inseparable for ten centuries, it was her best lead on Rebekah.

He stared at her hard and the idea that Klaus could see everything that happened to her made her want to cry or run away.

"It's rude to stare. I'm here to see her," she snapped when he didn't say anything.

"You won't find her here because she isn't here. She's not in her Original body either, so it won't be easy to find her without my assistance," he mentioned. Why would she come for Rebekah? Did it have something to do with the quarterback? He itched to call someone, anyone, in Mystic Falls to find out what happened.

Caroline's face fell. "Coming here was a mistake then," she said, trying to regain her dignity that was in tatters. "Goodbye, Klaus."

He stood in her way. "Why so hasty, sweetheart? Can I help?" he offered. He implored her to stay with his eyes.

She faltered and bit her lip. He looked good and solid, but she hadn't seen him in a long time. She couldn't rely on the feelings he had for her so long ago. She knew about people's feelings changing all right. He probably wouldn't even like her any more. She didn't really like herself which was the worst part.

"Stay and have a drink with me," he offered again. Seeing her was like a breath of fresh air and he couldn't let go now. New Orleans still had an undercurrent of the sire line war rumbling, although Tristan was dead and the item Lucien found to kill an Original was in Klaus' own possession. The prophecy hadn't yet come to fruition and Elijah hadn't forgiven him. Hope was safe and walking around. He wasn't happy though. He remembered having some happiness with Caroline and it called to him.

Caroline eyed him and it made him hold his arms out and smirk at her. It had been a long drive and maybe stopping for one drink wouldn't be bad. At least she wouldn't look crazy showing up and leaving within a minute. She didn't care what he thought though, did she? "One drink, Klaus, but that's it," she said with her arms crossed over her chest.

"One drink," he said which made her bite back a smile at how innocent he tried to look. She sat back down.

"I'll just be a moment," he promised. 

As he left, his face changed, becoming harsh and unyielding. Shutting the door behind him, knowing Caroline would be unable to hear him, he picked up his phone. Frustrated, he left a message when no one picked up. "Damon," he growled, "call me back right away or I will destroy you." He also tried Bonnie and Stefan, but they didn't pick up either.

"Klaus," Cami called as she came right in, not bothering to knock. "I know I told you months ago you don't need to kill Lucien, but you need to do something," she said as she walked in. She stopped when she saw the pretty blonde. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize anyone was here. Never mind what I said," she explained, unsure what this woman would think of her talking about murder so nonchalantly.

Caroline saw the other blonde and figured she really had no reason to stay. Klaus had things going on and new women in his life. Her idea was crazy to begin with and she wasn't sure she'd go through with it, but finding Rebekah was the start.

Caroline wanted Rebekah to compel her to forget the painful memories of the past year. While Rebekah hated her, she thought she could convince her to help, appealing to her hidden and hopefully existing empathy. She didn't trust or know Elijah to ask him and Klaus would want something in return. She had nothing left to give. The thought made her eyes burn with unshed tears.

"And you are?" Cami asked, breaking through Caroline's thoughts. Something uncomfortable swelled in Cami's stomach when she saw the other woman. Hadn't they gone through the Genevieve and Aurora situations?

Caroline stood up. "I wouldn't say Klaus is my friend exactly, but someone I used to know. He'll be back in a minute."

"So what I just said about killing someone isn't shocking?" Cami asked, insanely curious.

Caroline crossed her arms and didn't see Klaus enter the back of the courtyard with two drinks in his hands. "No, but I've never asked Klaus to kill anyone for me. In fact, I've only ever asked him to not kill people." She thought of Tyler. The last she heard of him he was doing great.

"Well I'm his therapist," Cami tried to interject, but Caroline was still going.

"If I need anyone killed, which I try to avoid, I do it myself," Caroline finished, showing Cami her vampire face which had her stiffening before Caroline's face changed back.

"I see you two have met," Klaus said as he joined them, enjoying himself and their displays. "Cami, Caroline is my friend, a lovely friend," he said, gifting her with a big smile, dimples on display as he handed her the drink. It made Caroline roll her eyes. "I'm sure we can discuss Lucien another time. He'll be moving on soon. Thank you for stopping by," he said as he walked Cami to the door, leaving Caroline for the moment.

"Is this one as crazy as the others, Klaus?" Cami scoffed quietly near the door, taking out her jealousy on Caroline. "These women fall into your bed and then try to kill you in it. That's not how healthy relationships…"

"You know I can hear you, right?" Caroline asked, offended, and walking over to where she could see them.

"Caroline hasn't tried to kill me in some time," he said with a big smirk. "Goodbye, Cami."

Cami bit her tongue and left.

The door opened and another blonde walked in.

"Seriously?" Caroline asked and Klaus grinned.

"Freya, this is Caroline Forbes. Caroline, this is my sister Freya," he said, enjoying Caroline's changing expressions.

"Hi Caroline," Freya said, raising an eyebrow when she thought recognized the face in front of her. "Did you wear a blue gown and dance with Klaus ever?"

"Umm, yeah."

Freya smiled. "You looked beautiful. It was nice to meet you," she said, continuing up into her room.

"You've missed a lot of Mikaelsons," Klaus said as they returned to the courtyard.

"That's a good thing, Klaus," she said with a sigh as she sat, taking another healthy sip of alcohol. "You've missed a lot, too," she said under her breath.

"I've missed you," he said just as quietly. It was true. He thought of her, hoping her life was what she wanted, probably disgustingly human. The idea made him smile. He was sure their paths would cross again, he would make sure of it, but the Caroline sitting in front of him wasn't happy. She was sad, very sad and it made him ache in part of his heart that had been closed off.

Caroline heard him but she didn't react. She wasn't sure if he wasn't being honest and he didn't know what happened to her- how it had changed it. She finished her drink. "Thanks, Klaus. Try not to get killed," she said with a smile as she stood up once again.

Klaus stood and started to panic. His initial impulse was to keep her there by any means necessary, but that's not what she would want of course. His phone rang and he picked it up.

Damon's name flashed across the screen and she saw it.

"Klaus, no. Please don't pick up," she said, panicking herself.

The phone continued to ring between them.

"He'll tell me what's happened and why you're here," Klaus said quietly, watching all of the emotions in her eyes.

Caroline felt like her chest was being constricted. "He doesn't know why I'm here, no one does. Please, Klaus."

"Will you tell me what happened?" he asked and she hung her head and nodded. Klaus pressed the Ignore button on his phone, sliding it into his jeans.

"Can we go somewhere a little more private?" she asked. People kept interrupting and she wanted a place to hide basically.

Before Klaus could say "my bedroom," he led her into his art studio. They wouldn't be disturbed there. It was his sanctuary and very few people were invited inside. It was intimate, but not overly so.

Caroline focused on the canvases scattered throughout the room. It smelled of oil paint and turpentine. It also smelled of Klaus. She liked it, feeling more comfortable, although telling Klaus about what happened might be worse than anything. Why was she doing this? She could run and Damon could tell Klaus whatever he wanted. She'd be long gone.

The problem was she still wanted Klaus on her side. She tried not to think of him and there were times when his voice wasn't in her head for months at at time, but then she'd see something that reminded her of the world and she thought of the man, the Original Hybrid that is, who promised to show it to her. She wanted Klaus to still like her and want her to succeed. Those kind of people were few and far between in her life, if there were any. Would she be burning this last bridge by telling him?

"I wanted Rebekah to compel me," Caroline said and watched as Klaus' jaw dropped. "I've gone through things I want to forget, permanently."

"Surely not, Caroline."

She stopped and sat on a wooden stool. "You can hear from Damon or whoever afterwards, but you'll hear it from me first. Then I'll go and I'll forget this stupid idea, but Klaus, things won't be the same after you hear it," she said and he felt the pull on his heartstrings. The look in her eyes broke his heart. How did this happen? "You won't look at me the same way, so maybe this is for the best after all."

"I will fix this," he vowed, not sure what he was getting into.

"I'm broken, but you can't fix me, Klaus," she said and her eyes filled with tears.

Caroline told Klaus her story. "My mom died. Brain cancer," she said in a quiet voice as Klaus found another stool and pulled it close, sitting opposite her. "It was…hard. There wasn't enough time and I tried to avoid the reality of her dying and missed too much. I turned off my humanity afterwards," she revealed and Klaus stiffened. Things really did change if she even considered turning her humanity off, he thought. Why didn't he know? "It didn't start out ugly, but it ended that way. I made Stefan turn off his humanity too." She gave Klaus a fake smile. "Your ripper friend, Klaus." He didn't react, waiting for her to continue and she did.

"A witch put a spell on Elena. She's human. She took another cure Bonnie found. She's basically Sleeping Beauty and her life is tied to Bonnie's. When Bonnie dies, she's supposed to wake up. Damon hasn't taken it well as you can imagine," she said lightly. Klaus continued to watch her and listen for what she wasn't saying. "Damon killed him, the witch." Caroline shifted on the stool.

"The same witch also killed his own sister who happened to be pregnant with twins. Alaric was marrying her when she was stabbed right in the middle of the ceremony," Caroline said, picturing the devastation Kai wreaked on them like it was yesterday. "Alaric survived." She rubbed at her right temple. "He's human again, but that's another long story for another day."

"Stefan and I became involved. He was the dependable good guy around and things were awkward for a while and hard, but we gave it a shot." There were challenges, including Stefan's first love coming back and her own insecurities, but they fought through it together. Caroline thought that anyway.

The room was silent as Caroline got to the hard part of her story. She looked up and wiped at a tear that fell down her cheek. "The bride's father, another witch, cast a spell as the coven was all dying, transferring the twin babies into someone else, to keep them safe, to keep the coven going. This person didn't have any choice. They were suddenly pregnant, forced to keep strange children in their body with no control. None," she said, crying hard as Klaus gripped the stool under him.

Caroline went backwards and revealed something she never spoke of. Her friends knew, yet it was never, ever acknowledged, but it mattered. It really always mattered. "I never told you before, Klaus, but Damon and I were involved when the Salvatores first came back to Mystic Falls. This is when I was human and really immature. I was with him to start, but then he compelled me to stay and not say anything. He hurt me. He compelled me to not fight him and we had sex and he would bite me, Klaus," she said, the words not wanting to come out. She felt sick to her stomach, almost gagging. "When I became a vampire I vowed I wouldn't ever let anyone take advantage of me ever again."

"I will kill him," Klaus said, standing up, not knowing what to do. How had she gone through such a thing and he had no idea? Pieces of the stool broke in his hands. He stood and paced, thinking of torture. "Who knows about this?" he asked. Did Elena know? Stefan? Did they cover up for Damon? He would kill them all.

"I was the person who carried the twins, Klaus," she said, tears flowing freely down her face, ignoring him, focused on her misery. "I was the one who was suddenly pregnant and I had absolutely no control over my own body," she yelled and started to hyperventilate. "No choice. Again. I wasn't pregnant, not with my own children, it was forced on my body."

Klaus was stunned, but he immediately stepped into Caroline's space and hugged her to him as she sat, crying into his stomach. He trembled with rage.

"I had those babies, a reminder of life I will never have, and I gave them up. How did it happen, Klaus? Why did I have to go through that?" she cried. "Why don't I get to decide what happens to me over and over? Do I deserve this?"

His hands smoothed her hair. "No, you don't."

"I did it because it's what everyone wanted from me, to come through for them, to protect them, to save them. No one asked me what I wanted. Ever." She sniffed into his shirt. "It reminded Stefan of the life he wanted. He was in love with the idea of being a father, being human. I thought it was sweet even though it wasn't our reality. Then he was killed."

Klaus didn't let this other revelation slow down his comforting of Caroline.

"He died, but with Damon and Bonnie we were able to get him back just after the babies were born, after I had to give up the lives I carried for months," she told him tearfully. "I got a thank you and I saw two new lives are in the world and I feel selfish for saying so, but that's not enough." She sighed, heart completely broken. "You know the first thing he said when he returned was?"

"No, sweetheart," he said as he stroked her back.

"Well first he asked for Damon, but then he asked for Elena." She sniffed and leaned back so he moved to give her room. "It hurt that the relationship I thought we had was real, Klaus, but I saw clearly that I have nothing. No one and nothing. Alaric doesn't want me around the twins. We might bond. It's not like I carried them for months, Klaus. It's not like I felt them kick and went through a painful delivery to bring them the rest of the way into this world." She got mad. "Bonnie's best friends with Damon. Damon, Stefan, and Elena are caught up in a relationship that will never end. I'm left out and I want it all to go away. All of it. Are you happy now?" she asked, standing up, eyes blazing. "Are you happy that you heard how I've fallen? Does it make you feel better? Do you pity me now and how stupid I've been? That I've been used once again? How strong and full of light can I be now?" She hurt. Oh how she hurt.

"That's what I wanted to forget, Klaus. I wanted forget that once again I can't make my own choices in life. You said I was strong, ageless, and fearless once, Klaus. I'm not any of those things," she said without fire and she walked past him. "I'm the dutiful one left behind, used because it keeps happening."

Klaus raced in front of her. "You are all those things. You should have killed the entire lot of them. Set the city on fire as you left it. You are better than they are," he shouted, seeing her pain and feeling the rage dying to burst from him. He was used to pain, numb to it, and he saw that Caroline was getting used to it too. It was not ok. "Don't compel those memories away, Caroline. Don't think of turning your humanity off again. I met you after Damon and you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in a thousand years. You stopped my heart and your bravery and brilliant mind captured me. They are the ones who are weak and lost." He put his hands on her arms to stare into her eyes. "You are the one who sees them for who they are. Users, ones who prey on those they think are vulnerable. You and I aren't vulnerable, Caroline."

"You left too, Klaus," she said quietly, wanting to believe him, but not daring to, stepping back from him.

"You wanted me to, Caroline." He hesitated. "I had things here to deal with. I have a child here. She's 2 years old."

"What?" she asked, stunned, lifting her hands to her hair.

Klaus pushed the information on her quickly. "Her mother is Hayley Marshall. My daughter, Hope, lives with her, just across the street."

"You and Hayley? What?" Caroline's mind was hazy.

"It was one night, Caroline, and I don't know why nature conspired for this to happen, but Hope is the one thing I'm trying to get right."

"What?" Caroline couldn't believe it, only able to repeat herself.

"Rebekah is in a witch's body, playing at being mortal, but she could always return to her Original form. Elijah is here. Freya is a witch only around one year out of every hundred. She was given up to our aunt by Esther. Speaking of her, she's dead- for good this time- and I killed Mikael again as well, plus my wolf father who returned when Bonnie was the anchor." He kept going. "Finn returned in a new body, Kol too, but both are now dead…again."

"You weren't lying about changes with the Mikaelsons," she said, unable to process it all.

He smirked at her trying to keep up with everything he rattled off.

"I never wanted to be a father. I'm not good at it and Hayley and I don't get along. If Hope manages not be as screwed up as I am, it will be a miracle, but I'm…trying."

"Good luck then," Caroline said without heat, feeling exposed as she stepped around Klaus. She gave birth to twins and gave them up, yet Klaus was a father? It didn't make sense, but nothing had made sense for a long time.

"Caroline, wait." He once again got in front of her. "Sweetheart, if I'm looking at you any differently it's because I see how magnificent you are in the face of adversity. Even when you try to give up, you can't."

Caroline licked her lips. She didn't know if that was true. She had intended on finding a way out of her pain by removing some memories after all.

"You've also given me the perfect reason to return to Mystic Falls. I'm feeling a bit peckish and I think a spot of murder is in order, don't you agree?" he asked with a big smirk and she couldn't help her laugh in spite of it all.

"If I wanted them dead, I would have done it," she said with the fire he associated with her.

He tipped his head in appreciation and she could admit she did feel a lot better, her cheeks flushed. He still wanted to kill everyone in Mystic Falls, but he knew that wouldn't go over well. He would come up with an even worse non-lethal alternative, starting with Damon Salvatore.

His large hand reached out and cupped her cheek. "I'm still enamored, Caroline," he whispered and she was caught in his blue gaze. He told her they weren't vulnerable, but they were and he put himself out there. She wasn't tarnished or ruined or anything she could possibly be thinking.

Pushing up onto her tiptoes and going for it, Caroline kissed him. She kissed Klaus Mikaelson. It had passion, but it was of compassion and understanding too. Then he kissed her. His tongue swept through her mouth and his hands kept her head in place. She lost herself in Klaus, only pushing him back long minutes later.

"I came here hoping to erase some of my memories, Klaus, but I don't want you to compel me," she said, touching her swollen lips, knowing that was true.

"I wouldn't even if you asked me to," he vowed as he took one of her hands.

"I can't erase them, but I guess I can make new ones. I need to go, Klaus," she said, feeling like maybe she had a purpose after all, not to be used be others as surrogates- both for Elena and Jo, literally. "Thanks."

"Where?"

"Anywhere but Virginia sounds nice," she said, picking up her purse. "Maybe I'll follow through on my human dream of working in television."

"Dallas," he said as she walked towards the front door.

"What?"

"That's where Rebekah is. She can't compel you, but if you're looking for company and aren't ready to be here…Dallas. Her assumed name is Eva Sinclair." His heart was in his throat and his hands were tucked behind his back.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. Just before the door shut, she turned to see him again, not seeing pity in his gaze, but attraction, intelligence, and vulnerability. "Klaus? It was really good to see you. Maybe I'll see you again."

"Count on it." He grinned and she did too, looking like the woman he saw in his dreams.


End file.
